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A busy summer might be on the cards for Celtic, but that doesn’t mean they should ignore whatever they have right now.

Multiple signings are quite clearly required, but the Hoops should always look to pay homage to their tradition and promote from within.

The area where Neil Lennon’s side will need most looking into is their defence. Especially at right-back, where Mikael Lustig is on his final legs, they need new blood. Even if Celtic can’t sign his successor, they can always blood one. Indeed, they signed American star Manny Perez for the same reason in January.

Currently on loan at United Soccer League Championship club North Carolina, Perez has shone in recent encounters. Not only have North Carolina won two consecutive games which he’s started, Perez’s sizzling talent going forward’s been on display. He’s recorded two assists in as many encounters, with an excellent, defence-splitting one recently against Hartford Athletic winning over plaudits.

Indeed, that’d look even better in green and white, we’re sure you’ll agree.

If Celtic need someone to bomb forward down the right, Perez is the right man. He loves going forward, with his impressive pace and fantastic creativity allowing him to terrorize opposition. If he’s guided properly on how to improve his defensive skill, maintain position and be stronger by Lustig, Celtic’s right-back slot could remain steady for the long-term.

With Kieran Tierney on the other side, the Bhoys would have plenty to shout about. We’ve seen just how important full-backs are in the modern game and perhaps that more up to date approach can help the Hoops in European competition.

Yes, we’re talking long-term ambition here but this is Celtic, after all. How can you not?

Among the young players the Hoops would want to bring into the spotlight, Perez should be on top. Indeed, the menacing right-back possesses all the traits needed to further glitter up the Scottish champions’ game and be an exciting long-term replacement to Celtic’s vice-captain.

Celtic fans, would you want to see Perez in action next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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According to The Daily Express, Ralph Hasenhuttl is a big fan of Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and is keen to bring the Serb to Southampton this summer after the Cottagers suffered relegation.

The 24-year-old, renowned for his strength and clinical finishing ability, has notched an impressive tally of goals for Scott Parker’s side this campaign – a satisfactory return considering the chopping and changing of both players and staff.

Fulham are hoping to keep hold of the former Newcastle hitman and are set to hold out for £30m in return for his services in the hope that the eye-watering price tag may put off any potential suitors as they look to the striker to fire them back out of the Championship next term.

With Shane Long’s future uncertain and neither Charlie Austin or Danny Ings relied upon to remain fit for 38 Premier League games in 2019/20, Hasenhuttl is right to add another number 9 to his squad, but is Mitrovic the right man at that cost? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Jack Saville

“A move for Mitrovic makes perfect sense on paper but I have my doubts about whether Southampton should sign him. He’s proven that he can be devastatingly clinical since joining Fulham but he doesn’t suit Hasenhuttl’s high-pressing philosophy. His dominance in the air and physical prowess would make him a brilliant back-up option but he’s unlikely to be satisfied unless he’s the main man. At £30 million Southampton could make a surprise blunder despite Mitro’s obvious credentials.”

Matt Dawson

“If Southampton are to be taken to the next level under Hasenhuttl then a striker must be a priority this summer. However, Mitrovic is not the answer, particularly at such an inflated price. The Serbian had a good start to the campaign but like Fulham, his form rather fell away. There’s no doubt he’d probably find the net more with better service but at £30m it’s a monumental risk the Saints can’t afford to take.”

From last minute penalties to being taken apart by local rivals, fans pick the moments that defined their clubs’ seasons in the video below…

Billy Meyers

“Signing Mitrovic would be an excellent decision by Southampton, but maybe not for a sum of £30m. He is a big bruiser of a forward who seems to enjoy the scrap in sides battling against relegation, and those who play a direct style with plenty of crosses into the box. In that respect, he might not be the ideal forward for Hasenhuttl’s system. Someone like RB Leipzig’s Jean-Kevin Augustin would probably be a better shout for the Saints.”

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Speaking on Sky Sports’ coverage of the playoff semi-final between Leeds and Derby (May 15, 22:00), both Darren Bent and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink predicted that Marcelo Bielsa wouldn’t be at Elland Road next season.

This would be a nightmare scenario for the Yorkshire club as the Argentine has wholly transformed them, but the two Sky pundits think that it is the end of the line for Bielsa at Leeds.

What’s been said then?

Speaking on Sky Sports, the two former strikers were in agreement that the 63-year-old would move on from Leeds this summer.

“I don’t think that Bielsa is going to be here next season,” said Hasselbaink

“I don’t think so. It was always one year to try to get the club up. I would love to see him here next season because what he brings is something different.

“I have been watching him in training sessions, and going to see what he is doing, trying to find out his philosophy and why he does certain things, and for me, it was an eye-opener.”

Bent was then asked if he thought Bielsa would stay, to which he replied.

“I don’t think so, we were discussing it before and I get the feeling that he put everything into one season.

“I think that if they’d have gone up he’d have been here. It’s a new challenge in the best league in the world.

“I feel like he’s put everything into this season, and if it didn’t work out he could bow out and say he’s given it everything.”

Probably right

The current Whites boss has never been one to stick around at a club for very long, and the heartbreak of Wednesday night may be what pushes him out the door at Elland Road.

If he does leave in the summer, then it may set Leeds back years as their squad is mostly the same as the one that finished 13th last season.

The Argentine could be managing a much bigger club if he wanted to, and his stock has only risen since he took the Leeds job this time last year.

As Bent said, the Premier League would be a new challenge in the best league in the world, and it may pan out that the 63-year-old wants to try his hand in the top flight of English football before he has to retire.

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Arsenal fans finally have something to hope for as the team approaches their big Europa League final clash against their blue neighbours, Chelsea.

Their managing director, Vinai Venkatesham, and head of football Raul Sanllehi sat down in an interview with Laura Woods and discussed the match in Baku that’s right around the corner.

It’s safe to say that after reading the interview, Gunners fans weren’t convinced by the discussions of the owners’ ambitions, while others simply didn’t seem to believe a word either Sanllehi or Venkatesham were saying. They were pretty loud in expressing their emotions on social media:

The big people leading the club should be much more ambitious than they’ve led the fans to believe they are and outrage from supporters pretty much flooded the comments section on Arsenal’s official Twitter page.

Many were in doubt of the direction the owners are taking the team in but now, their minds seem to be set – they clearly want a big change in the upper hierarchy for club to make any real progress moving forward.

A selection of tweets demonstrates their anger and disappointment at the interview and the general feeling towards Arsenal’s power-brokers…

Tottenham are just days away from the biggest match in their recent history.

No matter what happens during the course of the 90 minutes, Mauricio Pochettino and his men have done the fanbase massively proud and it’s an achievement they will never forget.

Although this remains the most important day for Tottenham, great attention is already being paid to the transfer window and who could better Spurs ahead of next season.

Reports (from the Daily Star on the 22nd) are linking Tottenham with a move for Leeds youngster Jack Clarke, after Marcelo Bielsa and his side failed to gain promotion to the top flight.

Clarke (who is valued at £900k on Transfermarkt) is one of many who shone at Elland Road this campaign and consequently burst onto the radar of many top clubs, including Tottenham.

Despite making just 25 appearances, Clarke was recognised as Leeds’ Young Player of the Year, many thanks to not only the two goals and two assists he grabbed, but also his level of performances overall.

The 18-year-old tends not to give a moments rest to opposition defenders and he certainly seems to have the makings of a terrifically talented young player.

Under the guidance of Pochettino, you can certainly believe that Clarke will get much better as well.

Tottenham have a good track record of developing youngsters, and Clarke could be another shining example of that.

With support from the array of attacking talent Tottenham already have, the 18-year-old would be learning from some of the best players in the league, which could only help him on his journey to becoming a recognised England star.

Do you agree that Jack Clarke would make a good signing for Tottenham this summer? Join the discussion and let us know!

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Arsenal are interested in signing Espanyol centre-back Mario Hermoso this summer, according to Spanish publication AS.

What’s the word?

Nurtured in Real Madrid’s famous La Fabrica academy, Hermoso left for new pastures in 2017 after seeing his route to first-team minutes blocked as he was shunted to Real’s reserve side.

After showing flashes of ability in his first season at Espanyol, the 23-year old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign this term as his 32 La Liga appearances helped the Barcelona outfit earn a commendable seventh-place finish.

The defender’s impressive form was rewarded with a call-up to the Spanish national team in November and with a €20m (£17.6m) price tag, Bayern Munich and PSG are also said to be interested in the Madrid native.

Good player, but not the solution

While Hermoso is an excellent player who would likely improve the Gunners’ defence, he is not the perfect candidate to fill Arsenal’s defensive void.

Since the days of Tony Adams and Sol Campbell, Arsenal have lacked authority in defence. Instead, the club has attempted to compensate for the dearth of physical supremacy through technical ability, choosing elegant defensive options such as Laurent Koscielny.

Koscielny is no doubt an extremely talented centre-back, but has always lacked the physical stature to command a Premier League box and compete in a muscular battle with physically superior strikers such as Troy Deeney and Aleksander Mitrovic.

Hermoso is another defender that fits into the same category as Arsenal’s previous purchases. Standing at just over 6 foot and weighing 74kg, the Espanyol centre-back lacks the physical profile that Unai Emery’s defence so desperately needs. His main strengths are his passing ability and composure – important traits, but not the traits that are currently missing from the Arsenal defence.

The emerging Espanyol star is a talented defender with an affordable price tag, who could slot into Arsenal’s defence and do a satisfactory job. However, the defensive problems in north London will not be solved until the Gunners invest in someone who can physically match the Premier League’s most ferocious strikers. Hermoso simply is not that.

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According to The Sun, Aston Villa are interested in bringing Gary Cahill back to the club this summer as the Villans prepare for life in the top-flight.

What’s the word?

Cahill’s eight-year spell with Chelsea is to come to an end this summer when his current deal with the Blues expires. In his time there, the 33-year-old won two Premier League crowns, as well as winning three European trophies.

He was also included among the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.

However, the defender could now be going back to Aston Villa, the club he left for Bolton in January 2008.

That’s according to The Sun, who claim that Dean Smith is considering bringing him back to Villa Park over the summer.

It’s a deal that would see him reunited with former teammate John Terry, a man who worked wonders with Villa’s backline in the second half of the campaign.

Perfect signing

Given that Axel Tuanzebe, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause have all technically left the club following their loan spells, bringing in a defender must be one of Villa’s main priorities.

As they gear up for a return to the top-flight, finding experience will be pivotal in their bid to beat the drop next term.

Considering his age, Cahill’s signing may not be one of the best ideas on paper, but his knowledge of the league would prove crucial in any potential relegation scrap.

The central defender is past his best, but Villa have already seen the benefits of bringing in a veteran when they signed Terry last season.

He was a leader in the dressing room and was a major reason for why the Midlands club got to the play-offs in 2017/18.

Cahill no longer has the qualities to play for a team as good as Chelsea but he can still be a vital asset to a newly promoted side.

Smith may favour players who he can develop further, but the centre-half should be an exception to this rule.

On a free transfer, a possible move for Cahill is a no brainer.

If there’s one man you can’t seem to go five minutes without talking about in this industry, it’s Liverpool’s rock at the back, Virgil van Dijk. And as if things couldn’t get any better for fans, who watched their team claim their sixth Champions League title with a comprehensive win over Spurs on Saturday, they have most certainly have.

The world’s most expensive defender signed a five-and-a-half-year deal upon his mammoth £75million switch from Southampton in January 2018, and while there are a sizeable four years remaining on that contract, he is apparently already keen on cementing his commitment to the Reds (although some fans may feel slightly aggrieved that ESPN’s Shaka Hislop believes the Dutchman will be offered to Real Madrid by his agent to force a better deal).

According to ESPN, the 27-year-old announced his intention to the club well in advance of Liverpool’s 2-0 win in Madrid, which has surely got to be a good thing, as it suggests he both believes in the project and was willing to stay at the club without winning silverware – something Klopp had failed to do since joining in 2015.

Van Dijk is apparently already among the highest earners at Anfield and his value in the squad is reflected by the dressing room selecting him as the third captain behind Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

However, while we don’t believe this will happen at Liverpool, given the positive spirit Klopp has instilled, it may be worth considering the current state of Manchester United’s and the suspected dressing room backlash because of the astronomically high wages they have handed Alexis Sanchez, which has hampered new deals for outbound Ander Herrera and David De Gea.

Nevertheless, we can’t see anything other than a new Van Dijk deal being penned, and with the already crowned PFA Player of the Year tipped to be a firm contender for the Ballon d’Or by Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, Liverpool fans have so many reasons to be excited for the future as they chase their first Premier League title in what would be 30 years.

Liverpool fans, what does Van Dijk’s evident love for the club mean to you? How far do you think he can take you? Let us know in the comments below…

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Last season was undoubtedly a disappointing one for West Bromwich Albion. Despite the ambition of earning automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, they eventually missed out on going up altogether after losing in the play-off semi-finals to Aston Villa. As such, it will be a busy window at the Hawthorns as they look to get back to the promised land. Here’s a look at the latest transfer rumours regarding the Baggies…

Thill on Baggies radar

According to Soccer Link, the Baggies are after FC Metz midfielder Vincent Thill. The 19-year-old is a promising youngster, having scored 10 goals and made three assists for National 1 side FC Pau last term, and is tipped for big things. West Brom will face competition from Norwich for his signature, however.

New boss will need to sort out finances

According to the Express and Star, the next West Brom boss will need to trim the club’s wage bill when considering bringing in fresh faces. Whilst six loanees have been returned and five senior players have not been offered new contracts, any new signings will need to be made with the £38million trim in mind – suggesting there will be more exits this summer.

Good news on Wilder front

West Brom have been handed a boost in their hunt for a new manager based on news from the Star. Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has been on the club’s radar since May, and it seems his future at Brammall Lane is uncertain amidst the court case involving the ownership dispute between Kevin McCabe and Prince Abdullah. It’s suggested the outcome of the proceedings could see Wilder leave the club he’s just brought to the Premier League.

It has been a rough couple of months for Manchester United supporters and, for some, things could be about to get much worse.

Largely seen as the Red Devils best player over the last few years, David de Gea could be on the move, with ESPN reporting that the 28-year-old’s future is in doubt.

The same outlet also reports that Manchester United would be interested in bringing Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak to Old Trafford should the above happen.

A former player of one of Manchester United’s rivals, though, believes the Premier League outfit could be about to make a silly mistake.

“If you’ve got de Gea in your goal, why are you going out and spending a reported €120m to buy this guy?,” ex-Liverpool defender Steve Nicol rhetorically asked on ESPN FC. “Why are you spending €120m on bringing somebody in to a different country, to a new team, a team that is going to be demolished pretty much and is going to have to add a lot of pieces?

“Why are you getting rid of one of the most important pieces in de Gea?”

With de Gea’s contract running down, though, Manchester United’s hand could be forced here. And all things considered, you could possibly even argue that Oblak would be an upgrade on the Spaniard.

Since last year’s World Cup, de Gea has had quite the decline. In the Premier League season that has just gone by, the Spain international made some calamitous and costly errors, resulting in some heavy criticism being thrown his way.

Meanwhile, in La Liga, Oblak has only gone from strength to strength, with his manager Diego Simeone now viewing the 26-year-old as “the best goalkeeper in the world”.

Given what he has achieved at Old Trafford and his overall ability as a shot-stopper, Manchester United will want to keep hold of de Gea. But if they lose the former Atletico Madrid man and replace him with Oblak, it would hardly be the end of the world.